Surprising Comfort
by LadyAlece
Summary: When Hermione fids Ron cheating on her she takes off through the castle, and finds comfort in a very unexpected place. What will happen when she starts to fall for that person? She then finds out that her best friend loves her and must choose between them
1. Chapter 1

**Surprising Comfort**

**Ch.1 Hermione's POV**

"**Ron how could you?" I asked when I walked in on him kissing Lavender.**

"**It's not what it looks like," Ron blurted stupidly.**

"**Of course, it's what it looks like. Get over him already," Lavender said crudely. She had never liked me much.**

**I turned to look back at Ron. He could I only say, "Sorry," and continue with their wet make-out before I could even leave the room.**

"**Insensitive prat," I muttered, and walked out of the room. I could feel the tears brimming in my eyes. I began to run. I didn't know where I was going, only that I wanted to get as far away from the room I had just left.**

"**Miss Granger? Are you all right?" a soft concerned voice floated out of a door to my right. I instantly recognized the voice of the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. She was young, sporty, blond, just out of her auror training, and, according to every guy in school, drop dead gorgeous.**

**I almost laughed when I first saw the stares she was getting from some of the boys in my class. I didn't know why they wasted their time, though, because, according to several rumors, she was a lesbian. Some of them said they could 'sway' her. I did laugh at that remark.**

"**Yeah," I said, pausing by the door.**

"**The tears on your face suggest different," said Professor Johnson, as she wiped one of the incriminating tears off my cheek. Whoa, she had appeared out of nowhere. "Why don't you come in and tell me about it?" she offered, moving aside, in the doorway, to let me pass. I deliberated a moment, then walked in. the room was her office. It looked like any other office (cluttered desk, chairs, a small sofa, filing cabinets, etc.) except for the pictures. They were everywhere, and the person portrayed in them did not vary. The same dark-haired young woman stared down at me from the walls. There were also a few on the desk. These photos bore the look of having been recently taken down.**

"**Come, sit," said the professor after she took a seat on the sofa. I took a seat on the other end. We sat with our bodies angled toward each other. "What's wrong?" she inquired.**

"**I'm just having relationship problems. It doesn't matter," I mumbled shyly. I usually got along quite well with my professors, but as this one was new, I hadn't had that much time to grow close to her.**

"**I guess it's bad all around today," she said sadly. "I jus got dumped."**

**That sparked my interest. "What happened?" I asked, hoping she didn't think I was prying.**

"**I'll make you a deal; I'll tell you my story if you'll tell me yours," she said, smiling.**

"**Deal," I agreed.**

**She handed me one f the pictures off her desk, before she started speaking. "That girl, her name is Lindsey, has been going out with me-" she stopped at the shocked look on my face. "You didn't know did you?" she asked me, then added, quietly, to herself, "Shit! There are already enough rumors. now there'll be more!"**

"**No, I didn't, but, if you want, I wont tell anyone," I comforted her, fearing she wouldn't finish her story.**

"**Thanks. You promise you won't tell anyone?" she asked earnestly. I almost laughed in her face, not because I'd been lying, because I hadn't, but because she sounded so childish in that moment.**

**I kept my face straight, and replied as calmly as I could, "Yes, I promise."**

"**Thank you do much! You want to hear the rest of the story now?" she asked, beaming.**

**I returned her smile and said, "Absolutely."**

"**Well we've been going out for five months, and I got an owl from her this morning telling me that she's dumping me for our friend Jessica. She didn't even care enough to tell me to my face!" Professor Johnson finished in a sad voice. Her smile had slid from her lips as she was talking, and, by the time she was finished, she looked close to tears.**

"**Then she isn't worth you. All that shows is that she's uncaring and doesn't deserve a wonderful person like you," I told her, my instinct to make people fell better taking over, as usual. Once I realized what I'd said I felt a blush creep across my cheeks, but she seemed not to notice.**

**She smiled, a slight hint of sadness still evident on her face, and said, "What about you?"**

"**Almost the same ting, but in a different order," I said. She gave m a confused glance.**

"**Oh?" she asked simply.**

"**I walked in the common room earlier, only to find my boyfriend of a year and a half snogging Lavender," I told her sadly.**

"**What the hell?! He did that to **_**you**_**?" she said. I might have imagined the inflection I thought she put on the word you. "Who is he? Whoever he is he's just a scumbag and doesn't deserve to be in the same room as you!" she continued ranting.**

"**Professor, calm down! It's okay, you're right, he's just a scumbag. I don't even know why I was stupid enough to cry over him," I said, trying to calm her before she got any deeper into her rant. I'd never seen her so angry; not even during that one class, when Seamus tried to kiss her.**

**She still looked flustered but calmed. Then, a strange look crossed her face, and she said, "Call me Cara. That's my name. I hate all this 'Professor' bullshit, but the headmaster insisted that I couldn't let the students call me by my first name."**

"**Okay, Cara, then," I said. "If I'm going to call you Cara, then you call me Hermione."**

"**Okay," she agreed brightly, "but you'd better head back; it's getting late."**

"'**Night," I said as I clambered to my feet, and headed to the exit.**

"'**Night, Hermione. Come back if you need anything," Cara called after me.**

"**I will," I told her. I continued walking back to Gryffindor Tower lost in thought. I replayed the evening's events in my head. When I reached the part where I caught Ron cheating on me, I felt none of the animosity I thought I would. I figured that my talk with Professor Johnson must have made me see what a jerk he really was, so I actually felt happy that he had been exposed before I could get any deeper into the relationship.**

"**Hermione, are you okay? Ron just told me what happened," Harry asked the moment I entered the common room. It was deserted other than him. He had obviously waited up for me.**

"**I'm fine," I said for the second time that night, only that time I was honest.**

"**You sure?" he asked, eyeing me warily, as if expecting me to explode any second.**

"**Absolutely. I'm going to bed now," I told him and headed for the girls' stairs, and up to my dormitory.**

**Two days later, in DADA**

"… **and that is why the Avada Kadavra curse, or the killing curse is illegal," Professor Johnson finished her speech on the killing curse. "Now, I'm going to hand back the reports you wrote on it, and, for homework, I want you to correct them. They're to be turned in, to me, by Monday. There is only one person in this class who passed, and she did so with full marks; she will be exempt from homework."**

**She walked up and down the aisles, handing back papers. "Congratulations, Hermione, you were the one that passed," she said as she handed me my paper. Her hand brushed mine (whether this was intentional or not, I don't know, as she sat my paper down, and my hand seemed to tingle at her touch.**

**At the end of class I went to walk out with Ron and Harry, as usual, but Professor Johnson says she wants to talk to me.**

"**I just wanted to tell you that I meant it when I said congratulations. You were the only one out of all my classes that managed to pass, let alone with full marks," she said, smiling up at me, from where she sat, behind her desk.**

"**Thanks," I told her.**

"**You're welcome," she replied, and with that I went to the Great hall for dinner.**

"**Something's up," Ginny told me the moment I sat down.**

"**Nothing's up," I retorted. I didn't think there was, anyway. Did Ginny know more about me than I did?**

"**Not with you," I breathed a mental sigh of relief, at her words, "with me. Meet me at the Gryffindor changing rooms at the quiditch pitch, and I'll tell you. Be there at eight o'clock. It's important, so don't forget," she said quickly, then dashed off, without eating a bite.**

"**That was odd," I muttered.**

"**What was?" Harry asked, taking Ginny's recently vacated seat. Ron, unfortunately sat next to him, and, even worse, Lavender sat next to him. Just because I wasn't mad at Ron for leaving me, doest mean I want to watch him and his new girl parade around.**

"**Nothing," I told him icily.**

"**Someone sounds grump," Harry said in a superior tone. I hated it when he would get like that.**

"**I have reasons to be, so just shut up," I told him. I wasn't in the mood for an argument.**

"**Like I said, grumpy," Harry retaliated, but fell silent after that. I barely ate. All I could think about was Ginny's odd behavior, and Professor Johnson. Of course, the Professor thing wasn't new; I'd been unable to stop thinking about her since our strange encounter the other day.**

**Dinner seemed to drag on forever, the anticipation in my stomach building, until I couldn't eat anymore. Finally, people started to get up, and I did too. As I did, I glanced toward Professor Johnson. She was staring at me, which, for some unknown reason, made my stomach knots tie themselves even tighter. I hurried back to the common room, to wait until almost eight. I glanced at the clock on the mantle, as I sank into one of the armchairs in front of the fire. I was shocked to see that it read seven forty. I stood up, and a wave of nausea rushed over my stomach, as I realized I only had twenty minutes to get down to the quiditch changing rooms and se what was up with Ginny. I figured, whatever it was, it wasn't good. Ginny only ever used the tone she had when something was very, very wrong.**

**Fifteen minutes later, I entered the room and looked about for her. I almost screamed, as she stuck her hand out an open door, and pulled me in. we were in the captain's closet (Harry was the Gryffindor Quiditch team captain), which is where the captain stores their robes; it was rather cramped, as Ginny had shut the door once I was inside. We were jammed against each the, our faces inches apart.**

"**I want to tell you something. I've wanted to tell you for the longest," Ginny told me, her sweet breath coating my lips. She leaned toward me. Her lips brushed mine. It shocked me so much, I didn't pull back, and, oddly enough, I didn't want to. She worked her tongue's way into my mouth; it was like velvet. She pulled away, and I had to physically stop myself from whimpering in protest. "I love you," Ginny said, pushing the meaning of her sentence, by grazing her tongue across my lower lip. **

**I shivered at her touch, and wanted to tell her I loved her too, but something held m back. As I was trying to figure out what annoying part of me was rejecting such wonderful pleasure, Professor Johnson's smiling face swam to the front of my mind. In that instance, everything that had been lurking on the edges of my mind, refusing to let me consciously what they meant, fell into place. The shock of the truth caused my knees to buckle, and I suddenly found myself on my knees in front of Ginny. She might have been saying something, I didn't know. The only thing my numb brain managed to do was repeat, '**_**It can't be, it can't be, it can't be!**_**'**


	2. Chapter 2

Ch.2 Hermione's POV

"Hermione? Hermione! What's wrong? Are you okay?" I was finally aware of what Ginny was saying, if only barely. I was crumpled, uncomfortably, on the floor of the small closet, my head angled oddly against the wall, but I wasn't aware enough to care.

"'M fine," I mumbled, barely coherent. I couldn't believe what I'd just realized; I was in love with my teacher, my female teacher, and my best friend! The next thing that ran through my head was, '_Oh, shit what am I going to do_.' then I lost consciousness.

The next morning, in the hospital wing.

I woke up moaning groggily. It took me a moment to realize where I was, and even the I didn't know why I was there. I wiggled, stretching.

"Good, you're awake," I heard Madam Pomfrey, before I saw her. She came bustling over, and became suddenly aware of the fact that I had a killer headache, when she banged into a chair. I winced.

"What am I doing here?" I asked quietly.

"You passed out, and Ginny Weasley brought up here. She didn't leave your side all night, you know. I had to make her go to class today," she said, as she handed me a potion. "Here, take this, it will help with your headache."

"Thanks," I mumbled. She hadn't left, which could only mean that she had really meant what she said last night. Speaking of the night before, the memories of what I'd fond out suddenly returned, and I felt like I was going to pass out again. It was just too much, too quickly.

I spent most of the morning dozing, and trying to think of anything other than the previous night's discoveries. It was around lunch time, when Madam Pomfrey approached me again. She walked over, bearing a tray of food.

"Here you go, dearie. Here's some lunch for you. And you have some visitors, would you like me to let the in?" she asked, handing me the tray, which was laden with roast sandwiches, vegetables, potatoes, and some truffles too.

"Yes, please," I said, biting into one of the sandwiches. Madam Pomfrey walked off toward the doors, and I heard her mumble something to the people on the other side.

A moment later, Harry, Ron, and Ginny came into view, Ginny in the lead. They all looked worried, but Ginny more so than the others.

"Hermione! You okay?" she asked, before the other two could do more than open their mouths stupidly.

"I'm fine. I just passed out, it's okay," I assured her, feeling both happy, and sad to see how worried she was about me. I smiled at them, to ensure them that I was telling the truth.

"Good," Ginny said, sighing in relief. The Harry, and Ron looked pleased, too, but stayed silent. They just stood there, silent for moment, before Ginny spoke again.

"We brought you something," she said, pulling a book out of her pack. I took it. It was a book called 'The Secrets of the Stars'. it was about astrology, one of my favorite subjects.

"Thanks," I said to them all, beaming. "This'll help pass the time, until I get out tomorrow."

"Why can't you leave today?" Ginny asked curiously. Ron's stomach growled, and he muttered something to Harry. They gave little half waves and backed out of the room.

I had expected her to ask this question. I knew that had been my first thought when Madam Pomfrey had told me I couldn't leave until the following day.

"Madam Pomfrey said she needs to keep me under surveillance," I explained, rolling my eyes to show that I clearly didn't think this was necessary.

We talked about pointless things, purposely avoiding mentioning the previous night. She walked off, and I began to read the book she had left behind. That's how I spent my afternoon. Ginny, Ron, and Harry all came to see me for a little bit at some point that evening.

Visiting hours ended at nine. At exactly nine-oh-five, Madame Pomfrey announced that I had another visitor, and I wondered who she was granting permission to, which was a strange thing in its self.

I heard the door open, and twisted to see who it was. A moment later Professor Johnson came into view.

"Hello, Hermione," she said, smiling graciously, as she sat in the chair next to my bed. She was the last person I had expecting to see walk through the doors. I smiled back at her.

"Hi, Professor," I said, smiling back, but forgetting what she had told me the other day. That was something she noticed immediately.

She scowled for a moment before replying. "What did I say about that?" se asked sounding slightly irritable, but then her face softened, and she smiled.

"Sorry, Cara," I replied with a sheepish grin.

"'S okay," she said. "I wanted to stop in and see how you were," she explained, when she saw the questioning look on my face.

"Thanks," I said.

"No problem. So, how are you? What even happened, I never did get that straight," she asked.

"Er- I- well, I kinda feinted," I said, the embarrassment causing a blush to cross my cheeks.

"I heard that. Why, though? I asked Ginny, because I knew she was the one that carried you up here, but she refused to tell me. Damn, that girl is stubborn," she said with a chuckle.

"Yeah, well, it doesn't matter," I said, my blush darkening.

"Of course it does," she argued. '_And she called Ginny stubborn_,' I thought.

"Fine. Well, it was mainly shock. Ginny shocked me, and I passed out, and I would have been able to leave, but Madam Pomfrey wanted to keep me for observation," I told her, hoping she wouldn't ask _how_ Ginny had shocked me. That was one conversation I really didn't want to have with her.

"Good. I'm glad your okay," she said, and paused for a moment o glance at her watch, then added, "Well, I'd better go. It's almost ten."

"'K. Night," I mumbled, and snuggled deeper into the covers, and opened my book back up. Several moments passed, and I thought she had left, so I was surprised at what I felt next surprised me so bad I almost yelped. Her face suddenly appeared over my book, she pressed her lips to my forehead, and left without a word.

I lay there trying to control the wild pounding of my heart, and figure out what was going on. I was so confused, I hardly got any sleep that night. Ginny was my best friend, and I knew her, and loved her for so long. Then, there was Professor Johnson, young, beautiful, and yet so confusing. They both had my heart, but I knew I would be forced to choose.

AN I don't know which one she'll choose yet. Visit my profile and vote please.


	3. Chapter 3

AN: AN: thanks to everyone who reviewed this story! Love you guys! I hope you like who Hermione ends up with X) And sorry it took me so long to update (I know it wasn't that long, but it was for me), I had a touch of writer's block.

Surprising Comfort

Chapter three

I got out of the hospital wing early the next morning, and, after a hurried breakfast, went to find Ron and Harry. It was a Hogsmeade weekend, so we had planned on going together. When I got to the common room, though, Parvati said they had already left.

"Figures," I muttered, aiming a vicious kick at the wall, before walking out of the common room. Normally, I wouldn't have minded, but I needed something to keep from thinking about what I was going to do; I couldn't study, because it would remind me of Cara, and I couldn't just talk with my best friend, because she was part of the problem.

After a few minutes of wandering aimlessly through the halls, during which many walls got abused, and my foot sore, I decided I would just go to the Three Broomsticks, and, if I was lucky, find Harry and Ron there.

I didn't fid Harry, or Ron, so I just sat in a booth near the back, and ordered a butterbeer. It wasn't nearly as crowded as it usually was, so I had a good view of the whole place. After few minutes of searching the room for anyone I knew, Madam Rosemeda came over with my drinks. I quickly took a drink and looked at the table. I didn't think my day was going to get any worse.

As I was almost finished with my butterbeer and about to leave, I heard the tinkle of the bell that signaled that a new customer had entered the pub. I didn't look up, so I was surprised when I heard someone sit in the chair next to me. I looked up, my eyes met those of the person who had just sat down, and my heart stopped beating for a moment.

It was Cara. I had only ever seen her in Hogwarts robes, so her attire today shocked me, as much as it pleased me. She looked sunning in a navy blue sweater that hugged her curves, and faded blue jeans that looked s if they could have been a second skin.

"Hey, Hermione," she said happily as she pulls her chair closer to the table, getting closer to me on the process.

"Hey, Cara," I managed to choke out after a moment. '_Snap out of it, Hermione!_' I told myself, shaking my head slightly.

"How you feeling?" Cara asked, before waving the bartender over, and ordering us both butterbeers.

"Much better. Still got a slight headache, from when I fell, but otherwise I'm fine," I said, and our drinks got brought to us, before she could reply.

She opened her mouth, then closed it again. It looked like she was struggling to find the right words for whatever she was about to say. It was _so_ cute. "Look, Hermione, I'm sorry about last night. I couldn't help myself," Cara said, her eyes pleading for forgiveness, and a blush flaming on her cheeks.

"It's fine. I don't mind," I said.

"Really?" Cara asked looking bewildered. She had obviously thought I'd be pissed at her. How wrong she was.

"Really," I assured her, meeting her eyes again. What happened next, seemed to happen in slow motion. We both leaned toward each other, and she pressed her lips to mine. It felt like I was going to melt right there.

She pulled away, looking slightly embarrassed. "I'm sorry," she mumbled, staring at the table.

I gently, pull her face up slightly so she's looking in my eyes. "I'm not," I say in a serious tone, then I kiss her.

She pulls back, and looks around, terrified look on her face. "Not here. I'll send an owl to you later, telling you where to meet me," she paused, then looked embarrassed again, "if you want to."

"Of course I want to," I told her, trying to keep any waver out of my voice.

"Good. I'll see you later," she leaned in closer, so that her mouth was an inch from my ear, and said, "I love you."

Before I could tell her that I loved her, too, she stood, and left. In a daze, I got up, and made to go back to the castle. I hadn't gone far, however, when a hand shot out and pulled me in an alley. I looked to see who had a vice-like grip on my arm, and was face-to-face with Ginny.

"What do you want, Ginny?" I asked, struggling to free myself from her grasp. Unfortunately, all her quiditch practices had made her stronger than me. She drug me back to the end of the alley, and into the cover of the nearby trees.

"How could you?" she demanded. "I tell you I'm in love with you, and to days late your snogging another girl, and a slut at that!"

"She's not a slut!" I yelled, and swung my arm back, fully intending to smack her.

"I knew it! You're just going to stand there and defend her," Ginny wailed, pushing me up against a nearby tree with some kind of spell, before I could manage to smack her.

"Of course I'm going to defend her, I love her," I yelled struggling against the invisible barrier that was holding me to the tree.

"Well, I love you," Ginny retorted, and then she was attacking my lips with her own. I struggled for a moment, before I managed to throw her off.

"What the fuck, Ginny?" I yelled.

"I'm not diving you up without a fight," Ginny said, then, "If I release you, will you attack me?" She pointed her wand in my direction, but didn't do anything.

Knowing I wouldn't be able to get her to free me (I could do it myself, but that was some spell I'd never seen before), if I didn't give my word not to blast her to pieces the moment she let me free, I said, "No, and I'm not yours to give up."

She freed me from whatever spell she had bound me in, and then said, "I love you; you're already in my heart. That means you'll be mine whether you know it or not." she spun on her heel and stalked off.

I faintly heard her call back to me, "If I see you kiss her again, I will tell Dumbledore." Fury blazed in me, at her words, but I didn't have time to worry bout it. I had to warn Cara about Ginny.


	4. Chapter 4

I made it back to the castle quicker than I ever had before, mainly due to the fact that I kept breaking into a run. I just had a nagging suspicion in the back of my mind that Ginny was going to corner Cara, and it wasn't going to be good. The last thing I needed was for them to have a shouting match, and expose my relationship- if you could call it that- with Cara, or for Ginny to curse her.

I ran most of the way to Cara's office. I sighed in relief, when I got there. I'd beat Ginny. I knocked on the door, not wanting to just barge into her office. When she opened the door, she looked rather startled to see me standing there.

"Oh, hey. Why are out all out of breath?" she asked, looking at me as I gulped in the air, trying to get enough to reply.

"Ginny saw- she saw us- when we- when we kissed," I managed to say between gasps.

"Well, she's your best friend, right? So she wouldn't tell people, would she?" Cara asked gently, motioning for us to go in and sit on the couch.

"She _is_ my best friend, but she _likes_ me, so yes, she would," I said. When I said that Ginny liked me, I felt Cara stiffen.

"Like how? How does she _like_ you?" Cara asked tersely.

"Like as in she wants to kiss me, kinda like," I said, waiting for Cara's reaction. Almost as soon as I had finished saying '_she wants to kiss me_' Cara's arm snaked around my waist possessively, and she pulled me closer, until I was sitting on her lap.

"How do you know she saw us?" Cara asked, her arms wrapping tightly around me. I smiled, content with my position. My next words wiped the smile right off my face.

"She confronted me about it," I said. My change in expression wasn't missed by Cara.

"Confronted you how?" she asked, a dangerous sounding tone creeping into her voice.

"When I left The Three Broomsticks, she grabbed me, and pulled me into an alley…" and so I told her about Ginny's attack on me. When I said the part about Ginny calling her a slut, she looked mildly angry, but nothing near what I'd expected. In fact, she seemed to be waiting for something bad enough to make her snap. That came in the form of me telling her about Ginny kissing me, when I couldn't do anything about it.

"That girl must have a death wish," Cara growled in a menacing tone. She pulled out her wand, and twirled it, deeply in thought, probably thinking what curse she'd use on Ginny.

"Cara, sweetie, calm down," I pleaded. "I wasn't finished with the story. She told me she wasn't giving me up…" I continued my story. "She yelled back at me that if she sees us kiss again, she'd go to Dumbledore," I said, tears welling in my eyes at the thought of her going to Dumbledore. I mean, Dumbledore can be an understanding man, but a teacher-student relationship is a bit much, even for him, and I couldn't stand the thought of losing her, just after she was mine.

"Shush, it's okay. Don't cry, love. It'll be alright, I promise," she said softly, cradling my head to her chest, and rocking back and forth.

"Thanks," I say, snuggling closer to Cara, as close as I can get.

"I'm here anytime you need me," she said leaning down to kiss me. A moment after our lips touch, I here a loud gasp from the doorway. Our heads snap up, to see a very startled looking Harry standing in the doorway, his mouth slightly open.

"Harry. Harry, please don't-" but that's all I manage to say before he takes off, running as fast as possible, which, for Harry, is quite fast.

"I better go after him," I said sadly, grabbing her hands, and using them to unwrap her arms from around me.

"Okay. Be careful, though, he probably won't want to listen, as he's probably in shock," she cautioned me.

"I will," I said, leaned down, kissed her lightly, then dashed out of the room.

After about five minutes, I find myself outside the Room of Requirement, the most likely place for Harry to hide.

"Harry! Harry, let me in! Harry!" I yelled as I pounded on the concealed door.

"What do you want?" he asked coldly. That was so unlike him.

"I want to explain," I said in a pleading voice, tying to get him to understand.

"Explain what? Why you were snogging our DADA professor only days after Ron broke up with you? Why you don't care about the people you hurt?" Harry demanded.

"Harry, I want to explain everything. Please, just let me in," I said.

"Fine, c'mon," he said, and stepped aside, to allow me through the door.

AN: I know it was kind of a short chapter, but I needed to stop here, or it would never end. The next chapter will be longer, and I will update as soon as possible.


	5. Chapter 5

AN: sorry for the wait. I broke my laptop, so I haven't been able to do much. I finally got this typed on my friend's computer, and ordered a new laptop this morning.

Disclaimer: I kinda forgot in the other chapters, but I don't own Harry Potter.

"Harry, It wasn't what it looked like-" I began, trying to explain the whole situation to him.

"So you weren't sitting in our DADA Professors lap, snogging her?" Harry asked sarcastically.

"Well, yeah, but-"

"But what?" Harry cut me off again. "But you didn't know you were doing it? Or, better yet, you were doing it for better

grades?"

"No, Harry, and I rather resent that you think me capapable of sinking to such levels. I was kissing her, because I love her," I said icily, straining my prefered word for it.

"You love her?! You think you love her? You don't even know her! She's our bloody professor for chist's sake!" Harry ranted, as he started to pace. I stayed where I was. I hadn't moved an inch since I'd entered the room.

"I don't think I love her, I know, and I know her well enough, thanks, and getting to know her more all the time. She was there for me when I needed someone and for that I'll always be thankful. Mainly because it was when I began to develop feelings for her. So, Harry, can you please back off until you know what youre talking about?!" I shouted the last sentance.

"Sure, I'll back off, but don't you care about who you hurt? Ron will be depressed when he finds out youve mopved on so fast." Harry asked as he stopped his pacing, prefering to flop on a couch that I'd either just noticed or had just appeared. Probably the latter.

"Well, for one, Ron dumped me, not the other way around! For another, Of course I care about the people I hu-" I replied, pissed that he'd even dare to say I was going to hurt Ron.

"People? People?! Who else are you knowingly hurting other than Ron?" Harry demanded, his face showing shock.

"Er... well... you see..." I couldn't say it. I couldnt tell Harry I was hurting ginny. Not when he's loved her for years, not when I knew it would hurt him. Tears began to silently cascade down my cheeks, as I realised what a big impact my love had on everyone, how many people would be hurt just so I could be happy for once, and be with the person I loved most.

Harry's face softened when he saw my tears. "Hermione, please don't cry. I didnt mean to upset you. Come sit down," Harry said patting the cuhion next to him.

I flopped down next to him, still sobing. He gently pulled me toward him, and patted my back reasuringly. "Sorry, for yelling," he apoligized. "Now tell me who else, I promise I won't be mad.

"I can't. It would hurt you too," I admitted.

"Please hermione. You are hurting me worse by not telling me." I looked up and saw so much raw emotion in harry's face that it scared me.

"Ginny," I barely managed to force myself to whisper the one name that could make Harry Potter, The-Boy-Who-Lived, cry. The only name that could break down the walls he had built around himself. The only name that could hurt him. The one name that could destroy him.

"G-G-Ginny? How-w? Harry stuttered.

"She loves me, and I don't love her back- well I do but I love Cara more- and it hurts her the way it hurts you. We both know what its like to love someone that doesnt love us back. Thats what shes going through. Thats how this is hurting her."

"She loves you?" Harry asked, looking as if he were about to start crying, then added, as if as an afterthought, "Cara? Who's that?"

"That's Professor Johnson's first name. That's what I call her."

"Oh," was all Harry could say. It looked like he was going into shock or something.

"Harry, I'm so sorry about Ginny." I said, and rubbed his arm in a soothing manner. How ironic, now I was comforting him.

"It's okay. A bit of a shock, but okay. I'll be fine in a bit," Harry said, his voice hollow, so I decided to try to cheer him up.

"Yeah, it is quite shocking. When she told me, I feinted. That was when I had to be taken to the hospital wing because of feinting.

Harry let out a dry chuckle before responding, "I bet that was rather shocking."

Suddenly a new thought popped into my head. "Harry you're not mad at me are you?" I asked timidly.

"Of course not, Mione, you didnt tell her to be in love with you."

I smiled at the use of my nickname. That, more than his words, comforted my fears. "thanks for understanding, Harry."

"No problem, and anytime you need to talk, I'm here for you."

"Thanks again," I said, feeling stupid for repeatedly thanking him.

"Like I said, no problem, but you might want to go talk to Profe- Cara, if you want to keep being problem free," Harry joked, catching himself before he called Cara our professor.

"Good idea," I said. I smiled real big, hugged himtight, then disappeared out the door to the room of requirement to go talk to Cara, and tell her everything was going to be alright.

Oh, how wrong i was...

AN: Again sorry for the short chapters. I'll try to write a longer one next time.


	6. Chapter 6

As I hurried back to Cara's office, I didn't notice, the tall, dark figure that shadowed my footsteps. I knocked thrice, paused, and then knocked once more. It was a code Cara and I had come up with, so she'd know when I came.

"Come in, sweetie," she called out to me, and after those words, everything that happened afterwards was irreversible.

I opened the door lightly, peering around her dimly lit office. I spotted her sunken low in a chair in front of the fire. When she stood, I gasped. She was wearing her night clothes, a miracle I was yet to see. It was a dress made of black silk. Its neckline plunged deep, showing lots of her wonderful cleavage, and ended mid-thighs.

"Like it? It's new; I got it today… just for you," she said in a sexy purr. I felt myself get wet at her words. She slowly slunk towards me, looking for the entire world like a lion closing in on its prey.

"Y-yes," I gasped. She reached me, and instantly her lips claimed my own. She slid her tongue across my bottom lip, her tongue begging for entrance, which I gladly granted, and instantly our tongues were wrestling for dominance. Her's won, as I had known it would since the beginning. She slowly pulled me to the couch, not breaking our embrace, her arms wrapped tightly around me, and her hands planted firmly on my arse.

She flung me down, in a surprisingly gentle way, and climbed on top of me. Her hands snaked under my shirt, to grope at my breasts.

"Mmmm, Cara!" I moaned as she slid her other hand down my skirt and teased me through my underwear. She slid her hand back out, and made to unbutton my shirt. Before she had gotten more than three buttons undone, the figure that had, unbeknownst to me, been following me in the corridors, stepped out of the shadows.

"That's quite enough, Professor," he stated.

My head whipped around at the voice and I gasped in surprise and horror.

A.N.: sorry for the cliffy but it's three in the morning and I'm tired. Would have done a smut scene but I can't write those. Sorry about the huge delay. I've been moving, settling in, going back to school and having some major relationship drama. Please forgive me. And there WILL be longer chapters, I just had to be evil and leave a cliffie.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: I am so sorry for the huge gap in updates. I moved again, and have recently been experiencing some troubles with my girlfriend repeatedly dumping me, but we're back together now, and I'm settling in at my new school (I guess, I mean I've only been there two days), so I am hoping to update more frequently. If you have any ideas for my story, please review it, or PM me; I'm always welcoming help and new ideas from m readers.

Severus Snape, stood glaring at the two of us curled on the couch, disgust evident in the features on his face. His hook-tipped nose pointed in the air, his top lip curled upward to expose his yellowing teeth, and one eyebrow rose dangerously high on his forehead.

I felt my stomach drop and turn. All the passion that had just been flooding through my body vanished, to be replaced by dread. Cara carefully removed her hands from me, and turned her head away ashamedly. Her shoulders shook slightly with her silent tears. That sight only added to my fury. Why had Snape been following me? Why did he have to ruin something so perfect? Why did he have to interrupt us when I was finally getting to spend some time with Cara? All these questions were floating around in my head, one more prominent than the rest. _Why had he been following me?_ I had no clue as to the answer to this, but I swore to myself right then, that I would investigate and find out. Someone had to have told him. Even Snape, doesn't usually make it a habit to follow students with no cause. The silence stretched on as he surveyed the scene in front of him. Oh, what I would give to know what he was thinking, what he was planning.

"My, my, you are so young and naïve, my dear. Have you not read the teacher's handbook? 'Rule number one: Absolutely NO relationships with students will be permitted, or tolerated." Snape sneered at Cara. Taunting her, goading her. Trying to tear her down. It must have worked, her sobs increased, before she raised her head, her beautiful face glittering with her tear tracks.

"No, Severus, I have read the handbook. More than once, especially in recent times, but true love has no boundaries. No rules can govern it. No one can control love, it's a force of magic and nature itself," she stated simply, glaring into his eyes, all uncertainty gone from her face, replaced with a hard determination.

"Well we'll see what Dumbledore has to say about that. Oh, and one more thing, don't call me Severus. My name is not to come out of the mouth of one so filthy and low as you. Not from a creature so disgusting as to 'love' it's same sex," he said stiffly turning, and leaving us with no choice but to follow him through the castle halls and to Dumbledore's office. I was so scared I was shaking. Cara reached out, grasped my hand in her own, and squeezed it comfortingly.

"Everything will be alright, I promise," she whispered low enough so Snape couldn't hear, just as we turned the last corner and found ourselves facing the stone gargoyle that protected the entrance to Dumbledore's office. Cara gave my hand one last squeeze and ran her thumb gently across the back of my hand before letting my hand drop, and vacing herself for what was to come. Standing there in the moonlight, even in her night dress, with her back so straight, her hands clenched at her sides, and her face set she looked more like a knight set to go into battle for the one she loved than she did anything else.

A/N: I hope this chapter has somewhat made up for the long time I left you hanging. Any ideas for how the meeting with Dumbledore should go? Review or PM and tell me if you'd like to share your ideas on my story. As always, thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N Again I apologize for the delay in updating. I've had so much going on, horrible writer's block and way more drama than I would care to mention. Okay enough with my pathetic life, on with the story.

"Cherry wizzdinger," Snape uttered, his voice still dripping disgust. The stone gargoyle jumped aside to reveal the stairs that continually spun upwards towards the headmaster's office, and what I could only think of as doom for mine and Cara's relationship. Snape lead the way up the stairs, with Cara following, leading me along by the hand. When we reached the landing and Snape reached out for the brass doorknocker, Cara gave my hand a final squeeze and let it go.

"Come in," Headmaster Dumbledore's low voice called, and the door sprang open. We filed in, Snape with his head held up in a snooty manner and grinning an evil smile, Cara her head held aloft with a defiant look on her face, and lastly me with my head bowed slightly and a partially hidden look of terror. "What is the reason for this visit?" Dumbledore asked kindly, as he motioned with his hands for us to seat ourselves in the chairs in front of his desk.

"Well Dumbledore, these, I can't really call them people, these – these _things _are in direct violation of rule number one in the Hogwart's School Employee Handbook. I caught them in this one's," he jerked his thumb towards Cara, "office. They were- well let's just say that they were in a rather compromising position that neither of them will ever be able to talk their way out of. Unless, of course, there is some reasonable explanation for a teacher to be on top of a student with their hands up their shirt and then un-buttoning said student's blouse?" Snape sneered.

"Really now? That does sound rather- erm incriminating. I shall talk to them about it. You may run along Severus," Dumbledore said waving his arm at the door which opened for Snape to leave through. Snape rose to his feet, looking as though he'd rather stay and learn our fates, but dared not argue with the headmaster.

"Very well then sir," was all Snape said as he stiffly rose from his chair, throwing evil looks at Cara and I, before leaving. The door snapped shut as soon as he had left.

"Are the accusations Professor Snape made against the both of you true, or hold any roots of truth?" Dumbledore questioned, his usually kind face stony and his usually sparkling eyes blank.

"They are absolutely true, Sir, but before you make any judgments may I please say something," Cara said in a defiant, but respectful tone. She sat with her back straight and strong, but her head bowed slightly, showing both that she believed in what she was saying and that she still held respect for the higher authority figure.

"Very well, go ahead. I will hear you out before I say anything," Dumbledore said, with a nod of his head, granting her request to speak.

"Sir, before I came here, I never really had any respect for myself, or self confidence. I was in relationship after relationship where my – uhm other half- was controlling, abusive, demanding, and/or cruel. I was beaten and broken; I don't even think my soul was left in one piece. I had nothing left in my name, no where to go, and was very down on myself. I decided to come here to do good in other's lives even if I couldn't in mine. I came here looking to inspire kids and give them a brighter future, and, something I never had, _happiness._ I never intended to fall in love with a student, but sitting there talking to her, wiping away her tears, seeing how stupid that boy was for hurting her, seeing her enthusiasm in class, and her captivating beauty, just drew me to her. When I'm with Hermione, I feel whole again, like my soul has been sown back together with not so much as a scar. I am finally happy with her. I now know what love is. This girl, is my whole world, my life. I'd die for her, I'd protect her from Voldemort himself. I wouldn't care if I died, it would be worth it because I'm nothing without her. She defines me. She is the entirety of the purpose to my life. I'd give up anything for her, even my job, so if you decide that we can't be together because I'm her teacher then, I will quit. I truly love her, please just consider that," Cara finished her speech, her voice cracking, and I could have sworn I saw the light reflect off of tears on her face. Her speech touched me so deeply, it brought tears to my eyes. I never knew Cara really cared about me that much. I knew I care for her that way, but I had no idea of the depth of her love for me. It was very touching for me, since I'd never truly felt like anyone had ever loved me.

"That was quite the speech, Miss Johnson. I know the rulebook says there are no student-teacher relationships, but… all rules are made to be broken," Dumbledore said, the familiar twinkle back in his eyes. Cara and I both burst into tears, wrapped our arms around each other and began profusely thanking him. "Now, now, there's a few rules though. Firstly, you must not let anyone know about this. I shall inform Severus, so he doesn't throw a fit and bring you back up here," Dumbledore said and we all chuckled. "Also, you are restricted from any, for lack of better term, sexual activities until you are off grounds. Then, it is no longer within my jurisdiction. Lastly, you need to ensure that Mr. Potter does not speak of this matter to anyone." Seeing the shock upon our faces Dumbledore added, "Yes, I know of Mr. Potter catching you. I have my ways." He said the last sentence with a mischievous smile on his face.

"Okay, Sir, we will ensure that none of the rules be broken. Thank you again for your kindness," Cara said excitedly smiling at the headmaster.

"Good. You're quite welcome. Now, off to bed, it's getting late," Dumbledore said, dismissing us. Cara and I rose to our feet and headed for the door. Right in front of it, Cara reached over and grabbed my hand, entangling our fingers. We descended the steps, not just to bed, but to the rest of our lives together, which looked bright now.

~FIN~

A/N: Again, sooo sorry. Please R&R. If enough people want it, there might be a sequel.


	9. AN

A/N: After re-reading my story I have decided that was a terrible ending, so no chapter 8 will NOT be the last chapter. I'm so sorry for saying that.


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